Hoppes or Ballistol?

[planetcat]

I like the Ballistol pre soaked wipes and use Shooters Choice for cleaning.

 

[Johnnu2]

Since it was brought up about using Hoppe's as a cologne, I'll share a little.

Decades ago,, not long after Miss Penny & I had gotten together,, I was in my gun room, cleaning a gun. She came in & asked; "What's that smell?" Thinking,, "Uh-Oh,, she doesn't like this," I replied; "Hoppe's #9." She said; "It smells good, I like it. Why don't you clean your guns in the living room?"
I knew I had a keeper.
Nowadays,, if I will disassemble them, she will clean them. She likes the smell!

You took the words right out of my mind/mouth Contender... the exact same scenario occurred with my wife and me.... It 'cemented' the deal in my mind. Although, I have to admit that all these years later, she's not as keen on it as she used to be...

J.

 

[HW11]

I like both. I use Ballistol the most, even though i think, as I said before, it smells like dirty feet.

 

[Hooch]

I quit using Hoppes years ago…. Can't say I've ever used Ballistol but have thought about giving it a try. My concoction that was given to me by a good friend of mine who does alot of long range is a 50/50 mixture of Shooters Choice with a product called KROIL. Works superbly!!! He gave me a small jar of it to try and it lifted gunk out of "clean" barrels etc so I started using it solely.

 

[hittman]

Kroil is hard to find around here but it's worth the search. About 5 times better than WD40.
Only Fastenal here has it, You can only buy it by the single spray can if a case happens to get broken open by mistake. Local factories and such buy it there but only in case lots and they'll reject a case if it's been opened.
Pretty expensive though.

 

[MHtractorguy]

I buy Kroil on Amazon for my old tractors and equipment. I use Rem Oil on my firearms for cleaning and lube.

Kroil has a very pleasant smell, but strong.

 

[Hooch]

It's good for alot of things that's for certain…. It does a fine job of lifting crud.

 

[gnappi]

a long time ago, I tried to convince my wife to allow me to use a spare bedroom as a motorcycle engine assembly room.
She said no.
I wonder if Hoppes would have helped?

When I was single I just about always had a 65/66 six cylinder Mustang engine on my kitchen table. My dad's barn had a few whole Mustangs as parts cows.

 

[J. Yuma]

don-cha just love them inline 6's?!

 

[41Dude]

#9 .....& it makes a great men's cologne, it's the only attractant I use.


Does it attract ex-strippers with Daddy issues like Old Spice does?

What a disturbing question! (But just for the heck of it I want to know the answer.)

 

[Hooch]

 

[davevabch]

Ballistol all day long. Have used others over the years and always come back to ballistol. Works fantastic in my Sonic cleaner as well. (Ballistol Milk). I also use the Milk to as a light lube. I clean all my magazines in the sonic cleaner. The Ballistol makes them very slick almost slippery besides just cleaning. Great for Black Powder as well. I buy Ballistol by the gallon.

Great light lube (Milk) This is fantastic to clean out trigger groups etc. Flushes out crude, but leaves a very light thin coat of lubricant.

If you have a dog and it gets HOT spots, Ballistol does wonders for healing. (I will just use straight ballistol in most cases)

That said, I will use this on Barrels. No scrubbing and looks like a brand new barrel when finished.

Here is my sonic Cleaner with Ballistol. Crude will come out and move to the top. Underneath is clean. I use a turkey baster to take out the crude and resume the ballistol milk.

 

[MHtractorguy]

In the seventies and early eighties, I had a thick piece of tempered glass resting on top of a 327 Chevy in the living room while I was putting it together. As long as there were no heads, or both heads on it, the glass would sit level and I could sit back and contemplate my next purchase. It did smell like Fluid Film, but nobody ever complained. Beer drinking Marines have better things to worry about.

 

[DBnoise]

Like to hear some thoughts about either.

My wife won't let me change from Hoppe's!! Lol third generation user. Kinda like the Old Spice commercial.
I use it and let it do the work, a wet patch a day until no more green. Muzzle down on a pad of paper towel. My best barrels only about 4 strokes and their clean. The real stubborn ones I mix #9 with jewelers rouge to a paste and a couple of strokes on a patch and plastic brush. Once in a blue moon have used Sweets. For cleaning other parts CLP. For lube, depending on temp 5w20 to 20w50 Castrol dinosaur oil. It works for me and my shooting regimen.

 

[Huntfish918]

Hoppe's #9 as a solvent, if necessary.
Y'all need to try Corrossion-X oil. It's the only lubricant that NEVER dissipates. It's also like BreakFree CLP in that it cleans and lubes.

 

[Rclark]

Never used anything other than Hoppes #9. It always worked just fine, which gave me no reason to try something else. Unlike some here, my wife dislikes the smell ... so have to pick my times to clean . Then some normal gun oil to finish the job.

 

[KIR]

I too have always used Hoppes, but don't remember why I started with it. DBNoise: As for Old Spice, when my dad moved out he left a bottle which I used for awhile as I was at the age of beginning to shave. Not adverse to trying something new, through the years, I went through, Bay Rum, Ice Blue, Jade East and English Leather. During the 70's I got tired of cold after shaves that stung if I had nicked myself, due to the alcohol content and switched to a non-alcoholic creme. I was very happy when I retired and I didn't have to shave everyday, but only keep a 5 o'clock shadow whenever I do shave. Despite all these changes, I STILL use Hoppes on my firearms!!!

 

[Uncle Howie]

I too have always used Hoppes, but don't remember why I started with it.

Probably because that's all there was!

When I got into firearms, Hoppe's was "the" powder solvent. There were certainly others, but Hoppe's had the name recognition.

Ballistol had been around for decades, but I don't even remember seeing it until I got interested in black powder shooting.

 

[Johnnu2]

IIRC Ballistol has been around since WW I..... (?)
I use hoppes 9 (unless it's a formal affair), then it might be Ballistol....

J.

 

[Lt Choate]

Depends. For copper or lead fouling Hoppes. Black Powder and long term protection Ballistol.

I agree with Hvymax on this one. While I use Hoppe's on my modern day guns, I prefer Ballistol on my flints and blackpowder weapons. I like to mix 6 parts water to one part Ballistol and make "Moose Milk." It is wonderful for breaking down the black powder residue and cleans along with lubing.